TWISTED Guide 101
by Perenne
Summary: An extension of Twisted, explaining Sakura’s story from underneath the underneath. Glossaries, characterization, extra info, reviews, etc. will be here.
1. What’s this 4? Anyone?

This is basically an adyacent work to Twisted.

It will contain extra scenes, shoutouts, glossaries and all sorts of details about the original storyline.


	2. To introDunce Twisted…

Here U'm leaving you with some of the possible descriptions for the story cover. Tell me which one you like best!

 **This is the current one:**

His female student, Kakashi ponders, squeals at the worst times. But then again, she was always better at the learning department. Kakashi will teach her the path of warriors.

 **#1st ever published (original)**

Sakura twists her ankle at the beginning of Wave, leading to a world of changes and one obvious difference: she becomes a survivor.

 **(Randomly made up for this Guide** )

Kakashi will teach her the path of warriors, but the first step has to come from within. Realistic!Sakura

 **(Hamlet version)**

One differnece at the beginning is all it takes. It's the little details that matter, as Haruno Sakura begins to change irreversibly—for best or for worse, that is the question. And all because of a sprained ankle. Realistic!Sakura

 **(Cliché version)**

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, just as others claim to be lost on the path of life. One small change results into a rollercoaster of consequences, and Sakura's path as a ninja will be altered forever.

 **(Discarded prototypes for current description)**

A bad sprain at the beginning of Wave leads to a world of changes and one obvious difference: Haruno Sakura becomes a warrior. It's a gradual process.

 **(Ugly version)**

Because the small details will change the big ones. Becasue Sakura may be small, but her actions will have far-reaching consequences. Becasue one difference at the beginning is all it takes. Realistic!Sakura

 **My thoughts** : honestly, I think it's nice to keep this. It kind of feels like a photo album. Not to mention, many reviewers have stated that Twisted is misleading at the beginning, so you guys are probably the best at determining which version you think is better, or why some are shit to begin with.

Smell ya later!


	3. Reviews 1

**Reviews #1**

Okay… so here's the promised shoutout.

As the end of the Wave arc, it's rather fitting, don't you think? Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you guys for your support. (Keep in mind that even if I don't reply to your review, I read all of them. I mean it. And I love all of them too.)

Before starting, I wanted to give a special thank you to MrTicklesMMM , who was the first to leave a review.

 **Bentley23** :

Misconceptions… I know! They're GREAT! Anyways, the shinobi kanji thing will be explained soon… well maybe not so soon. But don't worry, it's not meant to be understood yet. Anyway, I love your reviews and how you always catch on to the subtler little clues. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it!

 **Chimera-kuun:**

Well, there you have it. Kakashi is one of my favorite characters and I sincerely hope that I am doing him justice. And yeah, I hope you like how Sakura's relationship to her teammates is progressing!

 **Eyesoftime14:**

Hmmm… so I show character's weaknesses without hating them, huh? I have to say, I'm flattered. And I'm glad I could make your day a bit better.

 **Fluffpenguin** :

Yes, his teaching style is just different! Finally, someone gets it! Anyway. I'll change shuriken to senbon. Glad you agree!

 **Ashes** :

It's so nice that you like TWISTED so much! I'm also happy that as a guest user, you always go through the trouble of reviewing. It means a lot to me!

 **Suzululu4moe** :

Huh… I hadn't noticed that… wow. Trained via perversion. What a bummer! XD You just blew my mind. Seriously, I'm laughing as I write this. Anyway, thanks for your support!

PS. You're literally the only one who guessed that that was the chidori. Great job!

 **Lightfiction** :

Rambling? Sorry? Are you kidding? Your review was great! And yeah, I'd wager academy kids aren't supposed to take on the likes of Zabuza. Plus Kakashi is very, very nitpicky.

 **Guest** :

I wish I knew who you are! I like your analysis of how she keeps a child's notions. Could you give me an example for future reference?

sahi.Sony.1:

No SasuSaku, don't worry.

 **Guest** :

ummm… no SakuIno either, sorry. Pairings aren't really my main priority.

 **Faithulously** :

Hahaha! I found your review so funny! .-.

 **SomebodyLost** :

Yay! You read it!

 **quinn.cruise:**

Mmm… if you're gonna criticize Sakura, then do it the right way. I mean it. Move it and write me a decent essay of why she is 'terribl now'. And no, Kakashi's teaching material isn't sucky. It saved her life. ()

 **Tiffanycr** :

Glad you like my work. I hope the long distance works out for you. Genjutsu doesn't exist, sadly. (๑๑)

 **The Sassy Silveon:**

Ummm… I'm sorry, I never intended to make this into a bashing kind of fic. Who does that to their protagonist, anyway? I'm going for realism, and I'm glad you think so too.

 **XPao-17X:**

Nakamaship! Hahaha! That's so niceee…

Wit: That's Kakashi for you.

 **And additionally,** thanks to

Stargazing-sweetie, greatKyuketsuki, DefiantAngel96, Emily D'Lu, Fking, SkytheBioarch, ArmCannos34! Every single review means a lot to me!

Tell me what you think of the Wave arc as a whole!

And with that… see you later, aligator!


	4. Reviews 2

Alright guys… so I know I promised you to upload glossary #2 soon, (Swu just reminded me not to slack off ;D) however, I've been thinking and decided to wait until the second stage of the exams is over to post that.

On a side note, a reviewer mentioned that fanfics often sort of end because the chunin exam is so long that the author becomes tired of writing it, but don't worry! I just finished the close-up for the second stage of the exam, which means only te last part is left.

Sooo… guys… have I ever mentioned that I love your reviews? I slurp them up (yes, violinistwriter23, I so get you) like Naruto does his ramen. Literally, they make my day.

So, I decided that I'm gonna try to answer to all of them! (I know, I'm in way over my head, but I'll do my best). I haven't had the time till now because of exams, but today's the day!

But before that, since I'm guessing those who haven't reviewed aren't as interested in the replies, I've decided to post a little extra, since I don't want to disappoint after promising you the glossary.

(I just wrote it up after reading Swu's review like the diligent little author that I am.)

So basically, to put you into context… remember when Mebuki gently beat Sakura's ass to the ground to prove a point? Well, I have a feeling (and read your comments) that you kind of wanted to see that. So I wrote it. Initially, I was just going to add it either in chapter ten or eleven, but it turned out longer than expected, making me wonder what to do with it. Either way, I'll leave it in this note until next update, where it'll be relocated for new readers.

So, here goes:

(CUT FOR CHAPTER TEN TO ELEVEN, aka extra 1)

TWISTED

Harsh, isn't it? Had you imagined the match like that? Or not quite that one-sided?

Moving on, another issue I wanted to discuss is whether you prefer me to go over parts I've already written like this, adding stuff or perfecting my writing and spell-checking it, or whether you prefer me to keep writing new chapters? Usually, I go for the second option, amongst other reasons because too much re-writing is usually less motivating for me. But I'm interested in your thoughts.

Also, some of you have complained that the chapters are too short. I guess that's probably infuriating (what with my latest cliffhanger stunts and such) but please keep in mind that I'm updating every week. If you prefer longer chapters, but instead once every month or two months, then be sure to let me know. I can adapt you know? But I just figured that I, as a reader, would prefer it this way. (Kind of like in the weakly manga editions.) My pacing in the story has probably been influenced by manga as well, (specially since I've adapted it somewhat to match Naruto's) so it figures you'd get your cliffhangers every now and then. I'm thinking that, once the story's complete, I'll take care of most of the corrections.

Also, I've purposely left a plot-hole in the confrontation against Zabuza, but that'll be cleared up by Naruto soon (think chapter thirty or so, since it's what I'm about to write and I just finished number twenty eight). Did you guys notice the plot hole?

Anyways, I know you reviewers must already be getting exasperated at my incessant rambling, so, without preambles, let's move on to:

REVIEWS #2 (From oldest to newest).

MrTicklesMMM: I'm going to be honest with you: when I first read your review (the longer one) I was stumped. In a good way. You literally guessed so many things about my story that it left me gaping at the screen for a good minute. Remember what I just said about a reviewer (correctly) stating that the chunin exams are often motivation-killers for plot-bunnies? Well, you should, because it was you who said that. You are right in the fact that Kakahi is being a bit difficult as a teacher (in both senses of the word) but then again, you've got no way of knowing whether Sasuke saw through his illusions or not. Sakura deludes herself into thinking that he didn't, but everyone likes to thing they're special. You can look at his awareness of the ruse however you prefer.

As for Naruto not noticing, I suppose it's kind of mean of Kakahi not to make things easier, but I have a feeling that he often treats his genin like he would himself, which is to say, expecting them to do everything on their own. You also are right about pretty much everything else you said in your review, and I'm REALLY curious whether you'll like the coming chapters. My story does deviate from the chunin exams a great deal, staring right next update. Ino's fight with Sakura might disappoint you, though it's hard to say. I'd keep talking about your review some more, but I guess I can't rant too much or the other readers will hate me. Anyways! You might not even remember what you said in your comment, you might even think that it left me cold as I haven't replied until now, but know that that's not the case whatsoever! I look forward to more of your words of wisdom!

Kaiko Pion:

Your take on my story is exactly the same as mine. Sakura's staring personality is annoying to write sometimes. I wish I could just make her grow the wings of independence already and have her take off towards the sky, but it's not that easy. I don't believe that fundamentally changing your personality in one go is possible. (Note that I'm not talking about trauma, I mean stuff like becoming hyper mature slash hardworking and boyish over night). I'm glad you look at things my way!

Bentley23: Wow… here's another example of a really encouraging review. I'm so glad that you like my portrayal of Kakashi and that you can appreciate Sakura's subtle growth. She's actually thirteen, since her birthday is actually during tram seven's stay at Wave. Do you think I should write a chapter about that?

WantToBeADog: I love your username! And thanks for your praise! I really appreciate it, even if it's just a few lines.

Eyesoftime14:

Thank you. Again, I love it when people understand the comic relief of Sakura's fan girl side, or how becoming stronger but completely getting rid of Sakura's personality holds no real worth. As always, I get really happy with your reviews.

Chimera-kuun:

Sure, kouhai… errr… sempai? That just reminded me of Tenzou for some reason… hehe. And I like your defining Kakashi as a tough nut to crack. You've hit the nail on the dot with that one.

Tiffanycr:

I'm sorry it didn't work out in the end. Anyways, you've been one of my (I'm not gonna say best, because who am I to decide) but one of my most constant and encouraging reviewers so far, and I really appreciate the effort you put in each time.

Guest who reviewed between MrTicklesMMM and Ashes:

Okay. I'm SO happy you said that. It is a little unsettling when others criticize my work, and your take on it cheered me up so much! Besides, there's too many fanfictions where Sakura's base character changes based on a wake-up-call!

Ashes:

And you should know I might not always be the best at replying, but that I love ALL of your reviews. It fills me with joy that you like the Kakahi-Sakura relationship, even if we won't be seeing a lot of Kakahi for the next few chapters. But oh well, distance just makes us fonder, right?

Katty: thanks for your review! And more is in the way!

PrnticalEclipse:

Dude, I always wonder where you get all those ideas for usernames from. Thanks for dropping a review! Sakura will actually call out Kakashi for that very thing on chapter 28! It's funny that I'm replying to this exactly after writing about it!

InARealPickle:

Grrr… Again with the awesome names… geez, way to make me feel lame, will you? ;) Okay… don't read the link if you don't want. What's important is that you read my story… mwahahahahah!

Snkannie:

Uhhh… I think SOMEONE likes Attack on Titan huh? And yeah. I was worried about the fight scene, so thanks for the feedback. Do you think the fights are improving quality-wise?

Kragh50:

I like your attitude: straight and to the point. You're right, I'll change the rating. I was going to after reading your review but forgot. You'll understand the maybe-meaning behind the cover in due time but don't think too much of it. I guess I just wanted it to be attention-grabbing and original. About chapter-length, I just addressed your concern above in case others might be interested too, and update times are on Fridays around the same time, that being said, depending on where you live it may vary. Just keep in mind that I'm constant about it.

xXHeaven-SakuXx:

You're perhaps the person I've been meaning to reply to the most! Thanks so much for your encouragements and for giving my story a shot! xD

And don't worry, you'll get to see much more trolling and chakra stuff in the future! But I'm afraid you'll have to wait till this arc is over. /

Anyways… yes, I love Kakashi too. I'd actually just waken up from surgery when I read your review (and the ones following up to it). Where I had previously been feeling like shit, I suddenly felt euphoric and so, so glad that I'd l updated the day before my appendicitis struck. Seriously. You guys should write motivational speeches or something.

Anguila:

Your review's interesting. Are you a professional reviewer or something? *wink* *wink*

Santoseriermar:

Thanks! I get excited too, while I'm writing it. I think my family gets really annoyed when I start to pace…

Quinn.cruise:

Wow! I'm so proud of myself! You've been like… the only flamer I've had besides two others, and honestly, what can I say? It's part of the job. Thanks for enriching my writing experience! Now get lost. Meanie.

PS. But I appreciate that you made an effort to justify your critiques.

Holly Rosslin:

I think we all agree on that one! And thanks!

Alex995:

I get the impression that you and I think alike. Cheers to Sakura and Kakashi's trolling!

Fluffpenguin:

First, let me start by thanking you. You might not review every single chapter, but I never expected you to in the first place, this isn't an eternal commitment or anything. However, whenever there's a development in the story that catches your interest, you always make sure to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on it.

And about your speculations regarding the chunin exam… what can I say? You're a fucking genius. Maybe I'll have to censor what you say lest you end up unknowingly spoiling the whole story in the comments! Honestly, if divination like HP's existed, I'd think you a Seer.

VoidStarAlpha:

Thanks for your concern! Your question will actually be answered exactly next chapter, so hold your horses because it's coming in less than a week!

About your critique… it's probably the best advice given to me so far. Seriously, I mulled it over in my mind and realized that you're completely right. When I started writing, I actually had the opposite problem, where I ranted way too much, so I guess in my fear of that I now find myself on the opposite site of the spectrum. After reading your review (on chapter nine I think it was?) I gradually began putting in the effort to correct this flaw – though, like Sakura, you probably won't notice the change over night. This is actually what I meant earlier when I talked about chapter revision: as soon as I can spare the time, I'll try to go back and broaden the descriptions a bit, adding details or cut scenes with potential like the Mebuki-Sakura interaction I've included today.

Quite honestly, thank you so much for your criticism! It's helped me come a long way'

Stargazing-sweetie:

Thank you for complimenting my glossary! I was really anxious about it! And the character descriptions of the glossary are actually from Sakura's POV before the story even starts. The whole point behind them is making Sakura's character growth more obvious.

Quinn.Cruise:

Thanks Quinn! So you think this chapter is better? That makes me really happy! About beating Ino… maahahah. Please wait and see.

Sayalovesdiva:

Okay, THE ITACHI IS TAGGED WTF ISSUE I'LL ADRESS AT THE END BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ASKING. Yes, she'll get over the crush. Yes, it's cringe. Yes, it's like in the show. That's the whole point behind it! Thanks for the review, sis! ;)

Suzululu4moe: if there was an award about funniest reviews that always make me laugh, you and swu would win hands down! It also makes me happy that you try to review as much as possible, sticking with me no matter what. That's really helpful for me and my motivation.

Last chapter I was so stressed that I didn't even leave an author's note at the end and yet you still put in the effort to type in a little comment, even if it was just 'nice chase scene'. It's those kinds of things that make a difference, and I really appreciate it.

About Sakura's hair… I don't know. It's interesting how you always pick up on little trivia about her and further speculate on it. It gives me new ideas while reading your reviews and works my memory about little facts I may have forgotten or dismissed. I guess I'm kind of like Akira Toriyama in that sense… and when Sakura says 'Kaguya' it's actually always a replacement for when people say 'Oh God', or 'God Gracious' or stuff like that. I might remove it, since I don't think it's having the desired effect. I thought I'd get used to the expression over time but I'm not. Do you have any ideas of something she could say instead that don't involve the world 'kami'?

If so (they'll probably be funnier and more creative) please let me know if I can use those instead! Anyone else who reads this is also free to comment!

Fluffpenguin:

Well… I ended up publishing the glossary either way. I hope you did appreciate it in the end, even if it was just a little.

And I'm sure Kakashi's glad not everyone calls him a Lazy Bum, that's Shikamaru's job. As a little teaser, I'll have you know that the sand siblings will get two whole chapters of their own where their characterization will be further expanded… as will Shikamaru, for that matter. I'm dying to know what you'll think of them!

Suzululu4moe:

Yes. The tulips tend to suffer. Did I mention that you always make me laugh? I mean… libido training methods? And extra steamy scenes? God you're awesome! Now you're making me feel guilty that I'm not expanding into the humorous part of Twisted as much as I'd like. I might go back a few chapters and add this or that… hehehe

Duckbutt sketches in her fight against Ino? Oh hell, you're literally making me consider going back to that chapter and change it! And yes, to all those reading this: the aim behind this story is to present an exact replica of the Naruto world with only one difference (Sakura Twisting her ankle at the beginning of Wave) which changes other things. However, the chunin match ups aren't one of those things (it's a screen, logically it should still be the same) but if Sakura did win against Ino, then the final matches layout could undergo changes due to Sakura factoring into the next selection.

Ok, sorry for the rant.

Highonbooks:

Just by looking at your user name, I can tell that you and I have some things in common. Like sacrificing sleep to read through FanFiction in one sitting… now I'm feeling guilty (actually I'm not). I'm glad you deemed my story worthy of marathoning through it! And to leave a review. If you're anything like me or Shikamaru, you tend to forget to review after finishing a story at four in the morning… (Then again, you might be a responsible human being that doesn't find a need to go scrambling around with your hypothalamus… but who am I to judge?)

Santoserimar:

I can see why. And Kakashi's determination… uhhhh… Yeah… riiiight. Kakashi's actually capable of that. Thanks for the reminder. Most people seem to forget it.

Alex995:

Wouldn't I could care less mean that he possibly could care even less? I mean, doesn't it make more sense to say… "I couldn't possible care any less about that? Like, you're really at the utmost bottom of my priorities…? You know what? I don't trust myself. I'll just google it. Hang on.

Okay, right. So basically, both are correct.

Cheers!

MrTicklesMMM:

Again, I have to wonder whether you're a mind reader. Did you know that I literally started writing a story where Ino doesn't get to save Sakura from the bullies, and Sakura instead goes on a wonderful journey of self-discovery and growth, where she befriends Fū? Because I did. It's called What It Takes. You can look it up in my profile if you want, though I wouldn't recommend it, as it is actually much worser than Twisted and I dropped it pretty early on.

About your other suggestions… wow. I can only say that you really are an out of the box thinker. Is Shikamaru your favorite character by any chance? I find it hilarious that one of the most interesting reviews come from the first person to actually ever review. I mean, normally, the first reviewer is someone who won't ever comment again, or only superficially. My first review ever was actually "where can I find the next chapter?" while there was actually only one chapter. At the time I thought it was pretty funny. Anyways, I have a strong tendency to rant when replying to you. I'll try to work around it.

Alex995:

Yes. Definitely. I'll be a spoil sport and reveal that Gaara and Sakura will have more interactions in the near future. ;)

(Though Gaara's still a little psycho, just saying.)

PS. So glad you believe in the whole events butterfly effect!

Snkannie:

Yes. I'm also a fan of Sakura (or Temari) acting smart. As you can see, we're getting plenty of those moments in this new arc! Penny for your thought on her strategies?

Uchiha Misaki:

Yay! You think Sakura's intelligent! I'm so glad!

Void Star Alpha:

Thanks about the kai thing. No idea why I slipped up on that one. I'll go back and change it as soon as I find the motivation within myself… troublesome. And well… Naruto and Sasuke can't interact while asleep. Just saying.

Tabjoy13:

#1

I agree. Smell ya later pal!

#2

Ahahah! You just made me laugh. Yeah, his sense of humor is SO anbu. I love that comparison. And yeah, the man does tent to be nonchalant over things such as…

Chapter one: possible brain damage to his head.

Chapter two: his student reading pornography.

Chapter three: his clients dying by crazy traps.

Chapter four: his student creepily fantasying over stollen pieces of clothing that HE has stolen.

Chapter five: inducing someone to develop cancer.

Okay, I'll just stop here. I think we all get the point. Too bad for his cute little genin. Worst case scenario? They might get an award from ANBU.

Fango Town:

Three things:

–I covet your username.

–Thanks for emphasizing with 12 year olds! I love the fact that you're okay with slow pacing.

–I'll cover Itachi bellow.

Swu:

Do. You. Know. How. Much. I. Love. Your. Reviews?

In case you didn't… I do.

You actually made me a fan of my own glossary. Wow. And you convinced me to add more red to Sakura's outfit. I was meaning to remove it but… I'll buy. Red is nice.

One thing I really like is that you always make an effort to take apart the tiny hints I drop here and there and analyze them (or make a joke, those are appreciated just as much) in the comments. I love your take on SasuSaku (or rather, the eventual tampering off) and I love you too! :D

I try. Being awesome is exhausting. (But I'm actually not.)

125b: mmm. I think I already dedicated some poor author's note to bash you or something.

Suzululu4moe:

You won't believe this but my phone has already registered your username as a pop up option when writing. I guess you frequent costumers have privilegies, huh? ;)

And yes, Mebuki does have quite the character.

Envvyyy:

Glad you like it! If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me what made you think at the beginning that you wouldn't like Twisted? I'd really like to fix if I've come over as arrogant or bashing or something, so your telling me would be of great help! Thesassysilveon (I think was the user) said that the story seemed like it'd be about bashing Sakura at the beginning. Is that it? Thanks for reviewing!

Fluffpenguin:

Well… I guess there wasn't any humor in that chapter, nor any shining Inner Sakura moments. But I did that on purpose. I wanted to show how Sakura's personality shifts when around Mebuki. At least at the beginning. Also, I was aware that that wasn't one of Sakura's greatest moments so I suppose I must've subconsciously tried to finish the chapter ASAP, which lead to the hurried pacing. I suppose I'll have to fix that.

Thanks for informing me in the drop of quality. As always, critiques, if explained, are very welcome.

125b:

Ashes:

Yay! Another person likes the glossary!

Guest after Ashes:

I'm glad you like it, bro!

Guest after Guest: (luckily there's not another one after) (don't worry, Guest users, I've been there too and I love you too)

I'm glad that you can alise yourself to the point where you realize that you expected a more drastic change. I'm sorry but this story isn't like that. If you can manage it, I'd be happy if you stick around to see the fruits of my labour. Trust me: it'll be good.

Non:

Uh… maybe it was actually four flamers, not three. I'm sorry you think Sakura is garbage. I did my best to initially portray her like in the anime. If you think she's garbage here, uhhh… why exactly do you like her in the first place?

Fluffpenguin:

Just for the record, my phone memorized your name too. Such a smart boy he is! But I ain't here to fawn over my smart phone. Thanks a lot foe warning me about the hair color thing. I must've read a fanfiction in which he had it brown and a beard, because that was totally my mental image of Kizashi! Thanks for the tip-off! As you can see, the mistake has been taken care of.

Haha… I know I would've been looking forwards to his commentary too… but that's just so like him, to troll you with nothing, right? Hehehe. I'm evil and you know it.

Santoserirmar:

Wow. Now I'm curious. What changes exactly do you mean? I know what changes I've made, but I'm curious to know how underneath the underneath you can see. Tell me? Pretty please… I CAN'T WAIT EITHER

Void Star Alpha:

Thanks! You're always so thoughtful!

And excuse me? I couldn't wish for anything better than a good, long review containing lots of interesting ideas and ways to improve my writing! Moving on to the actual content…

Wow. Again… about your point 4) do you also have extra sensory abilities of some sort? I quote you: " I thought Mebuki was a little...too "civilian"? To me, she's being rather overbearing, which is strange because she didn't seem to be very involved with Sakura's ninja life previously. (Which reminds me: I hope you explain the lack of mother-daughter training at some point?) " Ehwhehe. Are you aware… THAT I LITERALLY JUST WROTE A FIGJT IN WHICH SAKURA WONDERS THAT EXACT SAME THING?! Because that's just… hsuah@zu$su. I mean… what are the odds? And yeah, that's actually a major plot secret that will take a while to reveal. I'm not sure if you'll like the truth (I'm not sure if I'm on board with it anymore) but since I've already done all the foreshadowing for it in like… literally all of Mebuki's appearances and events of CE stage #2, I guess I'll just have to roll with it.

"Also, it seems very un-ninja like for Mebuki to confront Kakashi about the Chunin exams when the entire team is within earshot." Mmmmm. Your idea about dinner is an excellent one – one that I might use in the foreseeable future… but not for Mebuki. That's more like a thing Mikoto or Yoshino would do. Mebuki has a more complex personality, in the sense that, even though she doesn't act loudly or brashly (ie Kushina) she is pretty straight forward in what she does, sort of bull-zoning through her problems. She wants the best of Sakura, she fears for her well-being and safety, and she really doesn't think that her team is what her daughter needs to BE safe of harm… so Mebuki acts. She's not the kind who likes political machinations. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean Mebuki isn't aware of it, but it's not… her weapon of choice. ;) (Remember her words to Sakura earlier?)

Fluffpenguin:

Yes. I have rights. I think I abuse them though. And you're right! A one reviewer shoutout! Who does that? Hahah.

Anyways, o appreciate you thinking the whole glossary ordeal through. It's nice to know others give the issue some thought as well. It's okay if the article didn't change your opinion: I'm more surprised that you'd already noticed lots of the tiny details (I'm really obtuse for that sort of thing) and I think it's great that some random article won't sway your opinions of the characters that easily. It's good to be flexible, but ideals are important too. Besides, Kishimoto makes their romance too sappy for my tastes.

AnjuHime:

Thanks a lot~ and yeah, Kishi does make me get pissed off sometimes (specially when it's about Sakura or Hunter x Hunter) BUT don't forget that without him, Naruto (or Twisted) wouldn't even exist!

Sunny ver 2.0

Seriously… the usernames… :) I'm your fan. Yes, she should be more upset. As you can see, I just expanded on that.

i30817:

I have to ask… did you choose those numbers at random? Because if you did… you're awesome.

Swu:

I'm sneaky? I like that. And yeah. That's exactly what happened. However, we have no way of knowing whether canon Sakura did or didn't have a fallout with her parents. We do know she was anxious about the exam, but Kishi never shows anything about her private life so… I'm taking my liberties!

MrTicklesMMM:

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a conspiracy. You and VoidStarAlpha must have some sort of ESP going for you, otherwise I'm doing really bad at my job of hiding foreshadowing. Trust me, Mebuki's character is more complex than that. She's not screwing around. She's a ninja, but don't forget that she's a career genin. Like I said earlier, Sakura asked herself some of these questions in the just updated extra… though now where I think about it, I don't even know why I'm defending Mebuki. She's supposed to be kind of like Snape, if you get what I mean. ( Only… please, please don't imagine her with greasy hair, okay?)

MysticMoonlight474:

She will grow and she will grow stronger! There's no issue with the motifs. Hopefully.

Anguila: Umm… yah.

Tabjoy13:

Tap! Tap! My screen is overjoyed!

#1

Beefy arms… Mom! Look! *faceplants in background*

#2

Because you're worth it. And we love Kakashi's half-assed compliments.

#3

She does… I think.

#4

Lovely.

#5

Yes. Cliffhangers. Because you're worth it… hahah. I really need to sleep.

Lendary:

#1

Oh god. Your review made me so happy! As an author, I've never been quoted like that. It made me feel funny… haha. Please keep me informed on your thoughts of these two! Do you still ship them!??? I love this!

#2

Kakashi's trolling standards… lmao. Yes. But I think he was pretty passive-aggressive mean to her in the manga. I mean, not intentionally of course, but me made Sakura look like a fool, a weak girl or a non-member of the team most of the time. I mean. Sasuke and Naruto (and any other 12 year old) would follow his lead on that, even if unconsciously, right? Even Sakura herself would end up slipping into the role Kakashi provided her.

#3

Why thank you. I thrive of making porn logical.

Sensei would be proud.

Ashes:

Uh… why do you keep saying 333? Is it some secret code or something?

Guest after Ashes:

Okay. Sometimes, after posting a chapter, I read it and spot mistakes, reposting it. I'm sorry if that's a bother. I didn't know you got a notification each time THAT happened. Because I might edit on a day other than Friday, and it might just be a coma, so don't get your hopes up. Just know that I update on Friday, and that I do it once.

Swu;

Thanks! I love birthdays! (And Beyond! ;))

"mebuki is also stubborn as shit, so going after hatake in broad daylight is something she would do, (and undermine the image of sakura's jounin sensei /not that he has a good img in sakuras eyes, but mebuki doesnt know that, does she?/"

You understand me, don't you?

You're probably right about the glossary. I'm sleepy now. You don't offend me. Believe me, it takes more to offend me. And I get your humor.

I don't know about tweaking the glossary… it sounds like a drag… (cue inner Shikamaru.)

And yeah, I loved how you analyzed the training exercise. You just gave me an idea of something I could talk about if I do make glossary #2!

And I love your "pull out your prankster's mind, son!" It's kind of… a thing Jiraiya might say.

Anne:

Yes, sempai. (Yay, now I get to be Temzou!)

Lais:

Ur welcome

Curious viewer:

"Now, on to the chapter. I have to admit, I was a bit dissapointed that you did not go into detail about the spar between Sakura and her mom. I was pretty interested in how she'd try to show of her skill, and what Mebuki would have in her arsenal. Oh well, i'm pretty sure they'll adress it in the future, so I'll hold tight for that."

I really must ask. What's going on with you and the ESP cult? Why do all my reviewers know what I'm going to write before I myself do? It's getting creepy! (Actually, I love it. I just love playing the victim. *cough* *cough* Sakura *cough*)

Honestly, I'm so enthused with your take on things, that, if you don't mind, I'm gonna quote you to all those people who question why Sakura's personality didn't do a 180 degree turn in half a chapter.

Here folks, I present you with some words of wisdom:

"Sakura, in this story, really makes sense when you keep in mind that you're slowly turning her from the fangirl she used to be into an actual ninja. We already know she has experienced actual combat and life-threatening actions, but why would she then still stick to how she was before? Well, how I see it, she is trying to deal with that fear by putting it, and all the implications of the experience behind her. Because really, if your standard of out-of-village missions is Wave, then of course you don't want to think about all that, and would rather forget it. On the other hand, before she advances further to being a true ninja, she really needs to deal with it, and identify and stop her bad habits.

I think that is the biggest thing why people feel a bit annoyed with how you're writing her. We all know she can be a great ninja, and the only thing that needs to happen is for her to admit that, and admit that she needs to change all these habits which prevent her from throwing her all in the training she needs."

–By Edgar Alan Poe. (Righttttt.)

MerryMinx:

Thanks! TSUZUKU!

Uchiha Misaki:

Oh the irony! Believe me. She already does. Better than anyone else. And thanks!

The Sassy Sylveon:

Finally! Someone who actually really liked this chapter! Of course, you've read the team bonding scene correctly. I think this sort of training is really important, accomplishing lots of things in a very subtle way. I'll probably expand on that in the next glossary. Speaking of which, I don't know if I'll change it over time. I might do that, but for every to glossaries or something. It's still a drag… and thanks for the congrats!

Suzululu4moe:

Yes, yes. The duckbutt is learning, isn't he. It does teach Naruto a great deal. I'll explain in the next glossary.

125b:

There's my little ray of sunshine! I was wondering where you'd gone off to.

Violinistwriter25:

Seriously??! Where do you feel her change?! I'm like Hanji from SnK in this, once you tell me something about Sakura's character development, I want MORE.

But now seriously for real, thanks. And if you're really a violinist slash writer… wow. I'm your fan.

Shion Lee:

Make no mistake. I did too.

Suzululu4moe:

Is Kurenai awesome or what? I love her character design! Though did you know? Originally, the first time she appeared in the manga, she was also drawn as pretty ugly. Ouch. And I think we should really put a name to the perverts theory? Any suggestions? I'll take you up on that, just so you know.

Icemaxprime:

Thanks for your support!

Alex995:

One pigtail. Though think of it as two, of you like. Just keep in mind that it's for the sake of practicality. And yeah, I loved Kurenai's appearance too (if it wasn't obvious already by my loud announcements in the previous author note).

Unfortunately, the next few chapters don't feature any of the jonin. :(

Angelicsailor:

I think it's funny that you made a review about Wave. I mean… it fits you! :D

And I'm glad you appreciate the realism. It gives me a headache sometimes.

Spidermans-Hellc:

Just to clear this up… When Kakashi says "Hoe?" It's not supposed to be an insult, it just an expression of his surprise. I think it really fits his character for some reason. I just can't picture him 'huh-ing' like your average guy.

But sure. I'm calling you a hoe… just kidding. ;)

Swu:

Yeah. I like how you caught on to Sakura thinking: 'I didn't say goodbye! I might never get the chance to again!' even though it's not explicitly stated in the story.

I think most people have a secret love for drama even if they won't admit it… and Sakura is like a walking bike of teenage angst right now so yeah…

"the whole naru and saku interaction was cute af, and made me think she pranked ino, but her seeing ino at the exams makes me think she didnt. if she had, i wouldve loved to see how it affected their interactions during the exams. " Another thing I need to go back and edit. The prancing Ino scene should appear, you're right.

Trying to remain civil… during Lee's advances… in the middle of the forest… oh boy!

HAHAHAH! You made me laugh so much. No, that's not gonna happen, though I should find a way to make it happen. Seriously Swu, the Shikamaru part of me is seriously annoyed right now. You keep making ideas pop up in my brain. Do you know how much authors hate to have inspiration showed down their throats?!? Huh?!? DO YOU???

Ahem.

Kurenai, heheh. Believe me, it gets even better.

And again, I don't know how many times I've said this but… don't apologize for rambling? Do you realize how much my word punt would increase if I did that? It would be even worse than the rants themselves!

Uchiha Misaki:

Welcome.

Special-youkoai;

Thank you.

Okami-Endless:

And I love you for telling me. I know, my narcissism sucks.

Merrilyme:

Please. You just made me imagine Kurenai Guy stalking poor defenseless Hinata through a dark forest. Do you know what that equals???

HipMoonGuru:

Sakura pulling fast ones… hmmm. I think you'll like what's coming.

Stargazing-sweetie:

Sakura's growing balls! Ahem. Guts. Yes, that's it… riiiight. I'm happy you understood the process of her being intimidated by them at first. I don't think many people get me the way I wanted them to in that one.

And I love wild guess time! ;)

BB:

Did I mention that L is better than you? Because he is! MWHAHAHAHAH. Ok, ok, I'll stop the cyberbullying. I like when things go kaboom though, but I got a feeling Sakura isn't quite there yet.

NorthernLights25:

Thanks!

VoidStarAlpha:

Yes, the word was Maturity, though I think we all secretly preferred she'd develop her inner Madara more… *wink* *wink*

And yeah. It's not like she'll get over Sasuke over night, right? Or maybe she will? Keep tuned! I'll address Itachi bellow.

Curious viewer:

You know, you're becoming one of my favorite reviewers. I had to laugh so much at the part where you quoted me, saying: "I'll be waiting in anticipation for the next chapter, when shit, apparently, hits the fan. I just find it hilarious. Thanks for wishing me luck, by the way. Thankfully that nightmare is over… for now. I love it when people compliment Kakashi's roll in this. I'm actually a bit worried that he comes off as a bit OC in some of the latest chapters that I'm writing. The problem with him is that he barely undergoes any character development in the series, hence when I try to develop it now, I get weird results. Anyways, you'll tell me when you get there if he's letting you down… I hope he won't. I'm also happy that you like the Mebuki - Sakura combination. Hopefully today's extra gave you some more insight on them.

And your description of Kurenai is spot on. I like it when people get exactly the essence of a character right, because that sort of helps me build on them further. I specially liked the one dimensional comment. You won't be disappointed in her second next appearance though. I'll dive a bit deeper into her psyche (actually it's just her opinion of Kakashi but bleh) so yeah…

Thanks for the review! It made my day!

Alex995:

Yes. Sasuke isn't that much of a jerk as we like to make him out to be. I only began realizing this as I started to write him, as that forced me to delve deeper into his character.

And yeah… the river had it's inconvenientes too… but Orochimaru's still part of the plot. So not much of an improvement there.

Suzululu4moe:

Please don't give me ideas.

Fluffpenguin:

#1

Umm… I'm not sure, but the attack probably won't be such a big event in this fic. Kakashi will have to take a back-step. Sorry! I wish he could get more screen time! Errr… page time? No wait, you're reading this on your phone / computer right? Okay. Now I'm rambling.

#2

"kurenai was probably thinking "kakashi's kids are definitely weird... then again my student's are pretty weird as well... now that i think about it, this batch of genin is pretty weird"" That sentence should be canon and you know it.

#3

Life is harsh. And maybe where I updated, the time zone is different or something. Idk.

Tiffaycr:

You think it was a good idea to skip the exam? That's good. No pressure to catch up on that one then. Hehehhe. One round for my inner Shikamaru. And Kurenai's a boss.

Swu:

Couldn't have said it better. She will miss that medic kit. Sakura the little Baka.

Pretty shameless. And don't apologize. XD We've been over this already! (See what I did there) *nudge* *nudge*

InARealPickle:

She's in love, kid. She still has some serious hero worship issues. I think she left the medical kit behind precisely because she refused to acknowledge the dangers awaiting her, even after she did al that talk. Humans are strange in that way.

Guest:

Perverts tent to be funny when they're behind a screen. Okay no. That just sounded creepy. I'M NOT A PERVERT OKAY???

Pfft:

Bring in the butterflies?

Violinistwriter23:

Enrapturing… no one has said that to me before… I'm so flattered… and I'm glad you like my take on Sakura.

Guest:

And you're the first to say that updating every week is not a plebeian task… thanks bro. I appreciate it. (Or sis, whatever.)

Faithilously:

Believe me, if you were tied up, aithout your eyes-sight, and at the merci of a fangirl and an idiot, with lots of pointy things being thrown at you, right meters would be way too little distance for you. Besides, they're supposed to improve their long-range abilities.

Suzululu4moe:

And here's where Sakura gets creative! And yeah, paradoxically, not even Sakura remembers to use her brain all the time.

Alex995:

Yeah, his disguising himself is actually canon. And Orochimaru didn't know. I should probably brush that part up a bit.

Nope. The curse-mark fits better with emo types. Sakura's hair is pink.

Merrilyme:

"Hermione, you're a witch!" Because we won't ever forget that quote.

Fluffpenguin:

Orochi-san likes to play a lot…

Yeah. I'm sure Kishimoto's dying a little on the inside right now. I mean… Hahahj! I had to laugh so much at this.

Uchiha Misaki:

Glad you can see the humor in a death chase. It's refreshing. I'm serous.

Tiffanycr:

This is one of the rare occasions when smart thinking comes to bite you in the but, isn't it?

Fluffpenguin:

Maybe the Orochimaru scene was cut too short… I should probably add more dialogue. But it just slows the pacing… and honestly. Who actually takes the time to have a chat with their murder-to-be?

Either the characters in Naruto are very talented at stalling for time, or their preservation instincts are severely lacking.

Tabjoy13:

Sorry to leave you hanging, the metaphorical cliffs seem to have grown attached to me.

Alex995:

Sakura didn't get the curse-mark because:

a) at the beginning 'Sasuke' was being a weak scaredy-cat in Orochi's mind,

b) then he saw through the illusion.

Sorry it just wouldn't have made sense for Sakura to get one. It would've been too random.

Suzululu4moe:

I think I'm over-abusing chase scenes.

Swu:

#2

Naruto jumps into the river to pee. A normal person would jump into the river to "refresh themselves" then discreetly pee, but Naruto's forte isn't exactly subtlety. I think he just saw a river and thought 'why the hell not?'

Because DUH. But he's Japanese, not fission, so that won't work. I like your take on the transformations. My idea was simply:

Sakura into Sasuke because… yeah, she's practically memorized every inch and mannerism there is about him. Sasuke into Naruto because his pride wouldn't allow him to transform into a girl and because Naruto wouldn't have anyone to transform into if he did that, and Naruto onto Sakura because he's the 'loser getting stuck wearing a dress' and because the contrast in their way of thinking would be the most useful.

I'll look at the scent thing. But just so you know, snakes can't smell. If his summons were dogs or something, now that would be different. But I don't think Orochimaru, who spent his adolescence secretly investigating in a sewer-lab would be big on smelling.

#2

Please. This is getting old. No need to apologize.

Moving on. Sneaky children indeed. And Sakura didn't learn that anywhere. Since opening the scrolls would mean disqualification, to make a copy you'd literally just have to take a random scroll (since the other team doesn't know what it's supposed to look like or if they're all the same) and write 'heaven' on it and seal it closed. As you can see, not so much of a challenge for Sakura's cognitive prowess.

And finally…

Tiffanycr:

You've literally reviewed while I was writing this thing. I'm glad the adrenaline and fast pace are portrayed well… hahah. Anyways, thanks for the review.

About Itachi being tagged: yes, he's important to the story, though he won't be appearing until this whole arc is over. He's actually one of my favorite characters, and I'm gonna sort of use him as a plot device later on. And… I'm realizing that everyone seems to keep using Itachi. Poor guy.

And… I know this is probably gonna be obvious… but can you guess my two other favorites? I'll give you a clue: canon Sakura isn't one of them.

Also, if you can spare the time, could you tell me if you have any preferences? I'm interested in knowing what kind of people are attracted to Twisted. (Not twisted minds, I expect ;))

Have a nice day. And this is so long.

Maybe I should create an extra story for these sorts of specials… what do you say? I really should.


	5. Thy is the knowledge

**GLOSSARY**

JAPANESE TERMS AND JUTSU:

 **Henge** : this jutsu allows the user to transform into another person. It's accuracy relays on the concentration and observational skills of the user.

 **Kawarimi** : the substitution jutsu, the most basic way to temporarily go into hiding. The user replaces themselves with an object (sometimes transforming it to further the ruse) taking the object's place and leaving it behind.

 **Bunshin** : a simple cloning jutsu. The one taught at the Academy involves making visual afterimages that are controlled by the user. Jonin (and Naruto) use the slightly altered 'kagebunshin no jutsu' or 'shadow clone jutsu', which expends much more chakra but has the advantage of creating solid clones that can think for themselves and relay their memories to the original upon being dispelled.

 **Kekkei genkai:** or bloodline-limits are the techniques passed down from generation to generation amongst clans. The classic example is the **sharingan** , a red, spinning eye known to the Uchiha clan, which amongst other things allows the user to copy other jutsu – provided they aren't another kekkei genkai, for which genetical requirements must be filled.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

 **Sakura Haruno** : Yep, that's me. For some reason, I was born with – you guessed it – pink hair! I got that one from my dad, weirdly enough, though I think that the green eyes belong to both of my parents!

 **Inner Sakura** : That's also me. Inner usually reflects my suppressed thoughts and opinions. If I'm being honest, she's great to vent and _unparalleled_ at cussing.

 **Ino Yamanaka** : That's my rival both in love and fashion! I'll show her that a merchant's daughter can stand up for herself too! I'm no longer the shy, little girl that she used to boss around, and I'll prove it to her in every possible way!

 **Sasuke Uchiha** : That's the boy Ino and I both like. He's perfect in every way and only the prettiest, most confident and intelligent of us will be able to have him.

 **Naruto Uzumaki** : He's the reject of the class. I can't really associate with him if I want to remain popular!

 **Team seven** : _Shanaro!_ All of my hard work and studying have finally paid off! I'm the one who's in Sasuke-kun's team! Naruto's In it too… he might ruin everything if I'm not careful.

 **Kakashi** **Hatake** : He's our new squad leader. I refuse to do the commentary for this guy.

ARC ONE: WAVE

 **Tazuna** : The old bridge builder we're supposed to protect. For a geezer, he sure loves his booze!

 **Zabuza Momochi** : One of the seven swordsmen of the mist; a ruthless rebel hunted down even by his own countrymen! He carries a huge sword with a crescent shape; it's sharp, but not as piercing as his bloodlust.

 **Haku** : Deserted because of his kekkei genkai, Haku was taken in by Zabuza – precisely due to it. He's still a child, like me, but he doesn't have a childhood to speak of. Inspite of this, even though he was trained to be heartless, Haku has the purest soul ever. (According to Naruto.)

 **Inari, Kaiza** **and** **Tsunami** : Just background characters. I'm gonna pull a Shikamaru this time.

 **Gatō** : Zabuza's employer and an asshat. I'm just mentioning him here so I can insult him.

 **Wave, political situation** : The Wave Country is a small island which is separated from the mainland by water, and is thus also spared the trouble of having to educate ninja to protect themselves. A ruthless businessman and drug Lord, Gatō, takes advantage of their isolation to completely take control of the country, killing off the weak opposition and monopolizing the ship trade.

The starving folks realice that the only way to free themselves lay in the construction of a bridge to connect Wave country with the main land, Fire country, which would allow for easier trade and mobility. Gatō, of course, sends his henchmen and mercenaries after the bridge builders to stop it from being finished at any cost. The one responsible for the whole project, Tazuna, (we don't know if there were others before him) takes what money he can get to make a mission request for the help of ninja from the main land, unfortunately ending up with a team of freshly-baked genin. And, though he doesn't know this, Kakashi of the sharingan. Being who he is, Kakashi realices Tazuna's ruse almost immediately, but being who he is, thinks he can take care of any arising threats on the fly. And henceforth team-seven gets involved.

ARC TWO:

 **Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno** : These are my parents, Dad and Mom respectively! Dad moved into Konoha from the Wind country to start a commercial business, for which he needed a body-guard. Mom just happened to be that body-guard. They fell in love, and, even though Mom had other richer suitors, they got married and had me! Now Mom's escorting position is permanent. It's so romantic!

 **Konohamaru** : Lord hokage's grandson, or as the people call him, "the honored grandson". I honor the gap in his teeth. Honestly, the kid is bonkers. And Naruto's fan. Yeah, that about settles it.

 **Temari of the sand** : The sand siblings' elder sister. She has spiky blonde hair tied into four pigtails and two ocean-blue eyes that would look pretty – if it weren't for their steely glare, that is. Don't tell this to the others, but she's kind of scary.

 **Kankuro** : The least intimidating of the sand siblings. He's kind of like Naruto in his brashness, except that instead of whiskers he wears cat-ears. (His skill with make-up also leaves much to be desired…)

 **Gaara of the desert** : Even though he is the youngest of the trio, he's decidedly the most deadly. His read hair reminds me of Raza, the yondaime kazekage, but in contrast to him, Gaara is too short, his eyes and skin too pale, to really belong to the desert. His voice compensates by being raspy like sand.

WHERE THE PLOT TWISTS:

 **So, a quick rundown of canon** : Team seven leaves Konoha for the first time, where a puddle on their path turns out to be the masquerading threat consisting of two enemy chunin, the Demon Brothers.

By feigning to gruesomely be killed, Kakashi determines that the chunins' true objective isn't robbery: the two Demons are after bridge builder Tazuna, which would mean a much higher level of threat than what has been specified in the parameters of their mission. In the meantime though, Sasuke and Sakura react to the ambush by taking offensive and defensive stances respectively, while Naruto finds himself paralyzed by fear, ultimately ending up saved by a taunting Sasuke and with a poisoned stab-wound in his hand. When the fight is over, Naruto makes a huge, bleeding gash on this very hand to get the poison out, also acting as a bow to never, ever freeze in place again. This wound is what helps him regain his bearings when the larger threat, Zabuza, attacks. In this situation, him and Sasuke are forced to employ their creativity to liberate Kakashi from a water prison, while Sakura remains in the background protecting Tazuna.

Now, rewind back to the fight with the Demon Brothers. Sasuke has a moment of dashing heroics as Sakura moves to protect Tazuna. **Okay, here we are.**

In Twisted, Sakura just happens to make one wrong step and _bam!_ her ankle's gone down the drain.

During the subsequent fight, (which she does not partake in), Sakura now has twisted her ankle, yet is able to continue through the pain due to adrenaline. When it is over, however, her injury makes an unwanted reappearance. Sakura is about to say so, but that's when Naruto, the class loser, goes as far as to _stab_ himself so as to not jeopardize the mission, and of course team seven can't turn back now because of _her little foot problem_. The pain will pass, Sakura thinks, hopes. I won't embarrass myself in front of Sasuke-kun.

The pain actually worsens.

And then Zabuza shows up.

This time around, Sakura is not as mobile – she cannot quickly scamper out of the way of the action, and Zabuza knows how to exploit this. He takes her hostage, has her at blade point, shivering and crying with silent terror, pleading for Kakashi to cave and save her, even though this would practically doom the rest of the team.

He shouldn't, but Kakashi does. For such a rational man, his actions here aren't one of his most shining moments. Maybe Sakura reminded him of past mistakes, maybe Kakashi wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe it's both. Kakashi gets trapped in Zabuza's water prison, though this time around it is entirely Sakura's fault.

Even after the fight is over, the fear and guilt in her heart fo do not settle, they simply recede. At night, when it is dark and lonely, Sakura's terror makes a dashing reappearance in the form of nightmares and restfulness.

 **Here the actual story starts.**

Kakashi, who is sleeping in a room with the boys, is woken in spite of his groggy state. He has already deduced that Zabuza has survived – vaguely, in his dreams, he knows, – though he hasn't naturally woken up yet. But a presence in his room – the unnerving prickling at the back of his head – wakes him with a start. His exhaustion recedes through adrenaline as he hides with hitched breath. He can glimpse Sakura standing in the darkness, though it might not be _really_ her. He can't be sure. She seems to notice his absence, and Kakashi knows he has to act:

Preemptively, he puts a kunai to her throat.

Sakura is trembling, visibly scared. Clearly, this is his twelve-year old charge, not the enemy. Kakashi consideres the situation resolved and lowers his guard, but Sakura has a different take on it. She's feeling more threatened than ever, and, fueled by her nighterrors, smashes a water glass into Kakashi's unsuspecting skull. Her state of mind was decidedly not the right one, but that's not an excuse. The damage is done.

The consequences of her acts are far-reaching, and not only at an emocional level.

Kakashi's way to a speedy recovery is thoroughly stalled. Due to this, he comes around much later than in canon, and when he finally wakes up again, he is shocked to find an array of traps littering the house. First Kakashi is alarmed, but then the traps turn out to be the work of his female (traumatized) student, who, in her paranoia, has become convinced that Zabuza is still alive. Apparently, she has taken measures on it.

In canon, Kakashi takes this chance to teach all of his students chakra control. They will need all the training they can get, he intrinsically knows.

However, unlike in canon, Sakura can't go running and jumping off trees with an injured ankle. But that might be just as well: no need to end up killing their charge, after all, and Sakura's misplaced eagerness to help isn't helping. (Her traps really do need quite a bit of work.)

To his surprise, Sakura takes to his teachings like a duck to water. Fear gives her application and application is what she has until then lacked, Sakura makes quick progress.

Kakashi approves.

He comes up with more things she can work on without hurting her foot, and more ways to motivate her without scaring her further. Her adoration to Sasuke makes her quite guilible. Kakashi starts to see this with humor.

(Each day, he hopes that Zabuza isn't ready yet; team seven certainly isn't.)

Deviating from canon once again, where Naruto and Sasuke had just mastered tree-walking in the nick of time, in this twisted version they are still learning because of Kakashi's delayed awakening. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke are nowhere near ready, and so the enemy catches Sakura unawares at the bridge.

Using what Kakashi has taught her, Sakura survives the encounter long enough for him to get to her.But not only has she saved her own life and that of the client, Sakura has learned something from it: she does not want any of her teammates to die. And Uzumaki Naruto is her teammate.

So she makes an effort to catch up with him more, whereby she meets Konohamaru, tealizes that he's the hokage's grandson. (This knowledge later allows her to scold Kankuro less than a month later.)

Simultaneously, this brush with death makes Sakura perhaps more afraid, but certainly also more aware. Aware of what it entails to be a ninja. Aware of what real fear feels like.

And now that Kakashi has taken to training her, seen how she ticks, he isn't about to let her laze off unlike in canon, when he thought her unmotivated and was clueless on how to deal with her.

Additionally, because of the three days of delay that result through her head injury, Sakura arrives back at Konoha _just_ late enough that she doesn't meet her parents there upon her return. Instead of seeking comfort from them (like I'm imagining she did in canon) a lonely Sakura starts to bottle things in.

Haruno Sakura is beginning to change.


	6. Extra 1

So basically, to put you into context… remember when Mebuki gently beat Sakura's ass to the ground to prove a point? Well, I have a feeling (and read your comments) that you kind of wanted to see that. So I wrote it. Initially, I was just going to add it either in chapter ten or eleven, but it turned out longer than expected, making me wonder what to do with it. Either way, I'll leave it in this note until next update, where it'll be relocated for new readers.

So, here goes:

CUT FOR CHAPTER TEN TO ELEVEN:

Training ground 7 had never seemed as ominous as in that moment, Sasuke-kun's dark gaze never as judging and Kakashi's porn never as mocking.

Mebuki Haruno had never been a ninja in Sakura's eyes, she'd just been Mom, strict but caring; Mom.

Mebuki was facing her calmly, the expectation of victory written cleanly over her face, her stance at ease.

Sakura, by contrast, was subtly trembling.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sakura?" Mebuki asked earnestly, her blue-green eyes boring into those of her daughter.

Sakura nodded, feeling as though her anxiety was exposed for everyone to see.

 _We're ninja!_ cried Inner. _It's about time Mom realices that!_

"We're ready," Sakura voiced.

"Oh, are we?" queried Mebuki.

"Yes!" And Sakura charged.

Mebuki, her body arranged sideways into a combat stance, prepared for the assault.

"Please, you're not even going full throttle, Sakura. I don't suppose you intend to pass the exams like that?"

 _Shut. Up_! Inner yelled, as her approach fastened. Sakura crossed the field in four strides, reaching her mother in a matter of seconds when–

Mebuki sidestepped her and stuck her foot out.

Sakura, who was now going too fast for her own good, fell face-first into the ground, little pebbles pressing against her cheeks and scraping her hips.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled from the sidelines. "You can do it, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura, who now felt ridiculed, got up and charged anew with everything she had.

 _She… she riled me up on purpose!_ Inner mentally cried, feeling like she'd been back-stabbed.

Once again, Mebuki went for evasion, though this time Sakura was prepared for it, countering by punching, which was dodged– once, twice, three times– here Sakura went for a kick… but Mebuki dove diagonally forwards and caught the limb between her arms, stepping ahead just so that she could throw Sakura–

 _…and we're kissing the dirt,_ Inner grit out. _Again._

"SA-KURA!" Someone constantly cheered. "SA-KURA! SA-KURA!"

"Naruto!" she spat furiously. "Stop making so much noise! It's distracting me! If I'm losing, then it's your fault!"

"But Sakura-chan…"

She balled her fists angrily. "Shut up!"

This time, Sakura drew a kunai.

"You're pointing that at me…" Mebuki breathed. But then her expression turned resolute. "But being a ninja involves knowing how to make use of your weapons!" And this time it was her who initiated the attack. Before Sakura knew what happened, the kunai had been knocked out of her hands with brutal force, and before she could attempt to counter, Mebuki had already put a significant distance between them.

"Your stance is wobbly, Sakura!" came her condemnation. "You look like a gust of wind could blow you away!"

Sakura grit her teeth, taking out another kunai.

"He who first strikes wins!" she quoted, trying not to look like a loser. Sakura swiped with her kunai towards her mother, who moved only minimally to dodge.

"Was that supposed to touch me?" Mebuki jeered. "Sakura, dear, I advice not to use a weapon you're afraid of!"

Sakura grit her teeth, throwing a punch.

 _I don't want to hurt Mom after all!_ she thought. _I should stick to hand-on-hand combat!_

But what she hadn't known was that Mebuki was leaps and bounds ahead of her in taijutsu. After more than five minutes of intense fighting, with Sakura ending positively winded and failing even at the attempt not to pant, Mebuki didn't seem to have broken a sweat.

Her hair was in fact the only thing out of place… it created a strange picture. Sakura was used to always seeing it perfectly coiffed and tamed, whereas now, Mebuki's blonde tresses fanned around her face like a halo, free of its shackling hair-tie, Mebuki' eyes shining brightly.

 _Is she actually enjoying this?_ Sakura mentally wondered.

 _She had better not!_ Inner complained. _I don't know where the fun in bullying us lies!_

And so, Sakura once again threw herself at her mother with renewed vigor to prove that she wasn't being bullied, because Sasuke-kun's judging gaze, and Kakashi's measuring eye, and even Naruto's overly-forced cheers, were really putting her on edge.

But one thing was clear: it didn't matter what Sakura tried, Mebuki only seemed to grow stronger with each passing second, continuously pointing out embarrassing flaws such as: "You're wide open!" "Did anyone teach you how to hold a kunai?" "You think your opponent will be impressed by your meekness?" and the list went on.

Moreover, what had startled Sakura the most was that she'd never known her mother to be so good at taijutsu. She wasn't even out of breath!

 _Why hasn't she ever taught me anything?_ Sakura wondered incessantly. _She only ever encouraged me to practice chakra-control, but she's not even using that skill now!_

Gritting her teeth, Sakura decided that if her mother wouldn't use ninjutsu (supposedly her forte) then she would.

Forming the appropriate hand-signs, she cried: "Henge!"

Mebuki's brows shot into her hairline.

"Is that a transformation jutsu?" she queried. "Whatever for, Sakura? I can still tell you're my opponent you know…"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Maybe transforming into Kakashi hadn't been such a great idea. She'd thought that the extra height and imposing presence would give her more of an edge, but her coordination had only got worse, and besides, how did Kakashi not get hit in the face using only one eye?

Sakura tried the bunshin next, managing a whooping six clones, which doubled the requirements for passing at the Academy.

But Mebuki kept up. With all of them.

"Those aren't even shadow clones, Sakura!" she commented. "You're just wasting time and energy. I can tell which one is you just by the concentrated look on your face!" Sakura stiffened. "See?" Mebuki went on. "You just proved my point. Creating only one illusion would've been more effective. This way, you're too focused on making everything move the way you want to. You can't even think of throwing a punch!" And then she proceeded to throw Sakura over her hip and into the dirt.

"Kawarimi!" Sakura yelled, just in time replacing herself with a rock behind a tree, hoping to hide long enough to be able to arm a trap.

"A rock?" Mebuki asked. "I'm pretty sure I saw the exact same one right there…" She chuckled. "You know, dear, it's not a coincidence that everyone uses Kawarimi on nondescript objects such as logs…" And then her face appeared only inches from Sakura's, peeking at her from one side of the trunk.

"Agh!" Sakura yelped, struggling to get away in time into the opposite direction.

But Mebuki, using a stray log from the other side of the tree, made her trip and fall into the dirt anew. "See? Logs are better than rocks."

Sakura frowned grimly, getting up with difficulty.

 _I don't want to know what my knees must look like by now_ … she thought tiredly.

"Kawarimi!" Sakura yelled again, making sure to look for a better hiding place this time.

 _Now if I could only finish that trap…_

"The same trick again?" asked Mebuki. "I'm guessing you're preparing a little surprise for me?" She chuckled. "Sakura-chan, traps aren't supposed to be obvious." And then, turning towards Kakashi: "I don't know what you taught her, Hatake, but keep in mind, Sakura, that there is always more beauty in the simple things!"

Sakura, getting tired of all the demeaning insults, made to get out of her hiding place behind a bunch of thorn bushes so she could at least do something to prove that she wasn't completely useless.

 _I'll show her!_ she thought. _I won't let you make Sensei hate me!!_

But once again, she only managed to sputter incoherently, her face this time buried in the thorns she'd been hiding behind.

 _What… what happened?_ Sakura thought weakly, at some point realizing that she was crying.

 **TWISTED**

After a minute of stifling her sobs as she lay there, surrounded by thorns, a strong pair of hands grabbed onto Sakura's shoulders, and ever so slowly heaved her out of the biting thorns so as to not hurt her more. Between tears, Sakura glimpsed Mebuki holding her.

"Let's call it a day, ne?" her mother offered.

Sakura glanced at her feet, seeing a thin wire that spanned between two tree stems.

 _I tripped over that. Why didn't I see it?_ she thought defeatedly. _It's the most basic trap…_

But still…

"How did you know that I'd hide here?" Sakura miserably asked.

"I didn't," Mebuki explained. "But I had a clone quickly place small traps around possible hiding spots whenever you weren't looking."

Sakura's jaw dropped. Mebuki had her beat in every possible way. From the application of similar techniques in far more creative ways, to Sakura's supposed specialization in traps, to showing her that the one skill she'd harnessed so much, the ever so complex practice of chakra control, would be useless in the face of simplicity. And her mom had never even thrown a punch.

Sakura lowered her head, not wanting to look Kakashi, Sasuke, or even Naruto in the eye. She couldn't.

"Sakura…" Mebuki called, brushing a pink hair-strand off her sweat-coated forehead.

"Don't act like you suddenly care!!!" Sakura burst out.

"Dear, please–"

"DON'T!" her pride roared. "GO AWAY!"

This time, Sakura was met by silence and two blue sandals moving into the distance. She lowered her gaze, not knowing what to do nor what she wanted. Sakura just felt so disappointed at herself, furious beyond reason, both at her mother and at her teammates, ridiculed and lonely all at the same time.

She sat down, tired and weary, her bottom on the dirt.

 _At least this is better than kissing it_ , Inner jeered. Sakura balled her fists and tried not to cry.


	7. Extra 2

_Basically, to put you into context, I'm not sure whether I like the beginning of Twisted, so I eeote this up. What do you think?_

 **CHAPTER ONE**

Fear is just a feeling. It's intangible, fleeting. You can't see fear, nor hear fear, and most ordinary men and women will confirm that.

The vast majority of them, however, when they were little, have likely fretted about the unknown, the darkness, the void under their beds. When the little boys grow into big boys, they are said to outgrow fear. But fear is intangible, is it not? Fear is a companion that will always hover close by, in the recesses of one's mind.

However… if fear is intangible, what makes it so real?

When she was six, Sakura's Mom had told her that fear isn't a bad thing, that fear shouldn't be ignored if the situation called for it. Sakura hadn't understood her then. Big girls like Ino weren't afraid, period.

She'd spent the following six years of her life ignoring fear. She'd been afraid of rejection, of having a bad reputation, of the all-encompassing feeling of loneliness… Sakura had put shackles on all of those. She'd locked her reservations and fears away, deep, deep within.

But six years later, on March the twenty-eighth, in the middle of her first serious mission, far away from home, the damn of Sakura's fears broke.

Her teary eyes followed the movements of the clock's two near-silent fingers as they pressed forwards unrelentingly. Sakura couldn't sleep. It was already hours past twelve, making her one year older already, finally older than Ino… but all Sakura could feel was fear.

Sakura tasted fear in her dreams. She saw it as the white mist surrounding her, robbing her of sound and sight, she smelled it on herself, she heard it, her own ragged breaths in the silence, she felt its touch, the sharp edges of a crescent blade, goosebumps rising in its wake, her throat constricting under its touch.

Sakura came to know true fear that night, and in the ones that would come.

Like the little girls and boys of her past, she was reduced to feeling raw terror at the simple sight of the shadows behind her door. But at some point in the night, the continuos advance of the clock's wiry fingers became too unbearable for her. Sakura knew that the only way to rest at ease would be to verify that there wasn't indeed anything (or anyone) hiding outside her room. That Zabuza wasn't lurking outside to finish off what he'd started.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she got up and silently approached the white shoji door. Inch by inch, Sakura began to push it open, her muscles tensing in anticipation of attack… but the corridor was empty. Sighing quietly, Sakura walked back inside, laying down on the futon again. But the clock…

Her jaw clenched with frustration. The simple ticking sound grated on her nerves, to the point where Sakura couldn't help but stand up, grab the stupid clock and condemn it to solace outside of her room.

Through the paper walls, she could still hear the sound of time…

Sakura got up again, this time walking out more hastily, grabbed the old clock and in a fit of annoyance rushed downstairs and dropped it into the kitchen sink.

The clanking sound it made had Sakura jumping out of her skin.

 _Calm down,_ she told herself. _There's nothing here… Right._

Sakura had been thirsty for hours, yet hadn't dared to leave her room until that point, so now she quickly filled a glass with water and hurriedly carried it upstairs, forcing herself to sip at it calmly.

While doing so, she ended up peering into the guest room next door. She could see Sasuke-kun slumbering opposite to a snoring Naruto.

Sakura was enraptured by him, though that fact was old news. Sakura had often liked to dreamily imagine what it would feel like to doze off with Sasuke-kun next to her.

Her playfully love-struck side had liked to entertain the thought that he might secretly be one of those restless sleepers, occupying all the space around him, masculine chest exposed only for her!

 _Kyaa!_


End file.
